Anabel.

If anyone had told me, if anyone had even dared to suggest that Vanessa could turn into a snitch, I would have laughed it off without a second thought. I would have defended her, dismissed it as nonsense, something too ridiculous to even consider.

But now...

Now, as her trembling fingers pointed directly at me, as she tried to save herself by throwing me into the fire, I stood there completely dumbfounded.

Stunned.

The hell?

My chest tightened, disbelief washing over me in waves as I stared at her. For a brief moment, I couldn’t even process what was happening. She was pointing at me... me.

When she was the one who started everything.

The memories came rushing back instantly, crashing into my mind with brutal clarity.

"I will help out!" Patricia’s voice echoed, sharp and eager as she stepped into the room that day.

I remembered the way we all turned to look at her, the curiosity, the anticipation.

"So I was thinking," she had continued, her lips curling into something almost sinister, "how about we frame her for something so serious that the quadruplets will have no choice but to kill her?"

I could still recall the way my eyes lit up at that moment.

"Woah, I never thought of that," I had said, a spark of amusement flickering within me. "I know something my brothers would definitely kill her for."

It had felt... perfect but then...Vanessa had laughed. That soft, knowing laugh that now made my skin crawl.

"Framing her wouldn’t work, you all," she had said, standing up slowly, crossing her arms with a calm confidence that none of us questioned at the time. "Anabel, your brothers will always find a way to spare her." Her eyes had flickered then, sharp and calculating."Especially when Noah intervenes."

The moment she mentioned Noah...

I remembered it clearly.

The way my expression had faltered, the way something inside me twisted. And just like that, I had been pulled deeper into her plan without even realizing it.

She had seen it.

She had used it.

Vanessa had cleared her throat then, drawing all our attention back to her.

"Let’s kidnap Maria," she said plainly, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. "And then kill her... silently."

The room had gone quiet.

"I’ll leave the job to you, Patricia," she added, her tone smooth, deliberate.

And now...Now it all made sense.

Damn it.

My jaw clenched tightly as the realization settled in, bitter and sharp. She had assigned the tasks so carefully... so strategically, not to help but to protect herself.

So she could stand here now...

And shift the blame.

My gaze snapped back to her instantly, fury surging through me like wildfire.

"You bitch!" I yelled, my voice trembling with anger as I rushed toward her.

Without hesitation, I grabbed her hair, yanking it harshly, forcing her head back.

"Weren’t you the mastermind?" I demanded, my grip tightening. "Why would you try to frame me?"

Vanessa cried out, her hands instinctively reaching up to try and pry mine away, tears streaming freely down her face.

"Aidan, help me... my baby..." she pleaded, her voice breaking, desperation evident in every word.

But instead of softening, It only irritated me more.

The tears, the trembling–it was all an act, it really felt like a performance now.

So... this was who she truly was.

The realization settled in slowly, painfully, like a blade twisting deeper the more I tried to deny it. The girl I thought I understood, the one who had stood beside us, spoke with certainty, guided every step of that plan, was now crumbling on the floor, crying, pointing fingers, saving herself.

And somehow... I was the one being sacrificed.

"Anabel, enough!" Aidan’s voice cut through the room sharply, pulling me out of my thoughts.

My heart clenched.

There it was, that familiar authority, that tone he used when he had already made up his mind.

A dull ache spread across my chest, heavy and suffocating.

Would he really believe her... over me?

"Aidan..." I said, my voice softer now, stripped of all pride as I looked at him, my eyes pleading. "You have to trust me. I’m innocent."

For a moment, I searched his face, hoping, desperately hoping, to see even a flicker of doubt but there was none, only cold, unyielding disgust.

Before I could even process it, something hit me hard from the side.

Adrien.

His shove sent me crashing to the ground, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs. Pain shot through my body as I struggled to steady myself, my palms scraping against the floor.

"How dare you hurt Maria?" Adrien roared, his voice filled with raw fury. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his fists clenched so tightly it looked like he might lose control at any second.

I could see it in his eyes.

He wanted to hit me.

But before he could act, Damien stepped in, grabbing his arm firmly.

"Adrien, calm down," he said, his tone controlled but firm. "Let’s punish her instead."

Punish.

The word echoed in my head.

"Punish her?" Davian’s voice followed, colder, sharper as he stepped forward. "I don’t think there’s any punishment more fitting for someone who planned murder... other than death."

My body went still.

Death?

My breath caught in my throat as fear finally crept in, cold and undeniable.

"No... you have to believe me," I said quickly, my voice shaking now as I tried to push myself up. "I’m innocent, I swear..."

I didn’t get to finish, as a sharp force struck my cheek.

Davian.

The impact was sudden, brutal. My head snapped to the side as pain exploded across my face, my vision blurring instantly. A ringing sound filled my ears, drowning out everything else for a moment.

I staggered slightly, barely managing to stay upright.

In all my years of living...They had never laid a hand on me, not once but now...

I swallowed hard, the pain burning through me as I forced back the words rising to my lips, forcing back the pleas that suddenly felt useless.

"Anabel," Damien said, his voice quieter now, but no less firm. "If we don’t discipline you now, you’ll only become more daring... more spoiled."

Each word felt like a verdict.

"Guards!" Davian called out.

The door opened almost immediately, two figures rushing in, one a rogue, the other an omega. Both lowered their heads slightly, awaiting orders.

"Take Anabel to the dungeon," Davian commanded without hesitation. "She is to remain there without food or water for three days."

My face went pale.

"No... no... no..." I shook my head, panic rising as I tried to speak, to protest, to fight back...

But it was too late.

They grabbed me.

Their grip was firm, unyielding as they dragged me toward the door despite my resistance.

"No! Let go of me...!" My voice broke, but no one stepped forward.

No one stopped them.

As I was pulled out of the room, my gaze locked onto Vanessa one last time, as tears still clung to her lashes and fear still painted her face but behind it...I saw it.

And my chest burned.

"Vanessa..." I muttered under my breath, my voice low, trembling with restrained anger. "I will make you pay."